Outdoorsman by day, MBA student at night

Those of you who enjoy outdoor pursuits such as hunting, fishing, and camping may be familiar with Rob Drieslein, managing editor of Outdoor News, “the sportsman’s online choice for news and information.” Rob also cohosts a couple of radio shows, one of which is syndicated and another which is broadcast on KTLK-FM.

The StarTribune recently profiled Rob as part of a series that takes a look at people who have made careers related to the outdoors in Minnesota. After many years as a writer, Rob enrolled in the Executive UST MBA program and graduated in 2007. As he explained in his interview with the StarTribune, “I wanted to be a guy who went fishing for a living. But I’ve found that if I want to make a living in this field, I’ve got to become more of a manager than a journalist.”

“Non-traditional” MBA students like Rob Drieslein are becoming increasingly common. As Kellogg MBA graduate Jenn Yee recently noted on the Manhattan GMAT blog, students who don’t have the typical marketing, finance or consulting background can thrive in the MBA environment. What at first may seem like a barrier to professional success (lack of traditional experience) can actually make a student stand out from the crowd.

With a successful career writing about the outdoors and more than 1,000 followers on Twitter, Rob Drieslein shows that post-MBA life doesn’t necessarily involve wearing a suit and sitting at a desk 40+ hours per week. How could an MBA help (or how has an MBA degree helped) you pursue your career passion?